Max Headroom - AdWar
by ElegantButler
Summary: When Zik Zak and Zlin get into a shooting war, the innocent are the most deeply affected.
1. Chapter 1

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future

 _AdWar_

 **-Chapter 01-**

Cheviot had barely started his first cup of coffee on Wednesday morning when the wall screen in Network 23's Board Room came alive with the profile of Ped Xing.

Ped Xing, Chairman and Founder of the Zik Zak Corporation, was looking livid. He was shouting furiously at someone else in the Zik Zak Board Room and did not seem to realize that his call to Cheviot had connected.

After a few minutes, he turned to face Cheviot.

"Things are very bad," he barked "We have sustained an attack at our warehouses in New Britain and New Tokyo."

"I'll get Carter on the job," Cheviot offered. "He'll find out who- "

Ped Xing cut Cheviot off. "We know exactly who's responsible. I'm not calling you to request an investigation. I'm calling you to tell you that as of this moment, we are involved in a combat situation with Zlin. We have sent draft notices to several people both here at Zik Zak and at your Network."

"I must protest," Cheviot argued. "My employees are not yours to endan-"

"Clause 73 of our ad contract states that I may request the use of Network 23 employees for..."

"That's an advertising contract!" Cheviot snarled. "Not a military-"

"... for any purpose."

"I won't let you have Carter," Cheviot said, angrily. "He's our best reporter."

"I would never dream of putting Carter in danger," Ped Xing said, smoothly.

Cheviot decided not to bring up the Serendipity incident. "May I ask who…"

There was an explosion on Ped Xing's end and the vu-screen went dead.

Cheviot half hoped the man was dead.

Bryce Lynch read the notice on his vu-screen for what must have been the eighth or ninth time.

To Bryce Lynch. Network 23- Research and Development. You are

commanded by the Zik Zak Corporation to cease and desist all

current activities and contact Zik Zak Combat Services in London

for assignment.

Failure to reply will result in your disqualification for future Network 23

employment and may result in charges of treason which are punishable

by death.

Thank you.

It was followed by a vu-phone code.

] "They must have made a mistake," he reasoned. "There is no way they would ask someone my age to go to war. I'll call them. I'll call them and when they see me they'll say 'Sorry, kid. Too young. Go play with your Missile Mike doll.'."

He tapped in the code that was on the screen.

"Bryce Lynch responding as ordered," he said. "I think there's been a mis-"

"We do not make mistakes," the man on the screen told him. "We will retrieve you in one hour."

"Sir, are you aware that I am…"

"We are fully aware of your age and of what you are capable of," the man said, making it clear that Bryce was not getting out of this new assignment "You will be leaving for your new post in one hour. I suggest you find a suitable replacement to take over during your extended absence."


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 02-

Bryce decided not to contact the others about the matter. He knew they couldn't stop it. Edison would certainly try, of that he was certain.

He packed a few items, unsure if what he'd need, and sat down at his vu-phone. It was time to call in his replacement

A few keystrokes later and Nicholas appeared on screen.

"What do you want?" the child asked, bitterly. Nicholas was a Blank and had been so ever since he'd been booted from ACS.

"Want a chance to redeem yourself?"

An hour later, Bryce quietly snuck Nicholas into the building.

"I set up new access codes for you," he said. "My project list is in the system under the file name Projex."

"How original," Nicholas groaned.

Bryce shrugged. "I had to make it easy to find so someone else can get it in an emergency."

"Good point, sir," Nicholas smirked.

There was a knock on the door.

Bryce looked at the vu-screen monitor. A pair of men in uniforms that had a militaristic quality to them were standing there. One held a rifle. The other wore tinted spectacles and held some form of clipboard.

"I have to go," Bryce told Nicholas who looked at the screen with horror.

"Is it safe to go with those men?" Nicholas asked.

"No," Bryce shook his head. "But I have to."

"Why?"

Bryce looked into Nicholas's troubled eyes.

"War."

The two men from Zik Zak were waiting impatiently when Bryce emerged from his studio.

"Bryce Lynch," the man with the clipboard didn't ask. "We're here to escort you to your new assignment."

Bryce nodded wordlessly, then followed them to the carpark.

A third man was waiting by the car. He saluted the shorter of the two men and opened the door.

"After you," the shorter man said, gesturing for Bryce to enter the vehicle.

Bryce climbed in and sat down.

"Buckle up," the taller man ordered.

As he snapped on his seatbelt, Bryce turned to the man who'd given the order.

"I'm going to war and you ask me to put on a seatbelt."

"You will speak only ordered to," the taller man barked angrily.

The shorter man put a hand on his subordinate's shoulder.

"Ease up, McKenna," he said. "The kid's just scared. Right?"

Bryce nodded, silently.

"What did your friends say about all this?"

"I didn't tell them," Bryce admitted. "I figured they'd either interfere or they throw me one of those embarrassing parties."

"So they don't even know you left?"

Bryce shook his head. "I told my replacement to notify them when they see him."

"Bradley…" McKenna began.

But Bradley cut him off with a smile.

"I told you we made the right choice."


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 03-

"This is Edison Carter and I'm standing by what some of you may recognize as the entrance to the old raking rink. Just two months ago, this place was an arena of pain for many young men looking to make ends meet in this hard world. But today it will become the home of something much better. In just a few hours, this place will officially become the Northwind Education Center."

Theora watched Edison as he said these things on her control screen.

"How's that?" Edison asked her as he took the camera from Blank Reg, who was helping him out with the broadcast, and looked into the lens.

"Not bad. Except tell Reg to get both you and the building in the shot next time. If we wanted just your head, we could've got Max to do the show."

Reg nodded to show that he'd heard.

Edison grinned. "He got the message," he said. Turning to Reg he added. "Blank Bruno should be really proud of this."

"I think he's going to be more proud of the kids he saves from poverty with this new school," Reg replied. "I think he misses teaching."

"It'll be good for all of them," Theora said. "I think we should ask Bryce and anyone else who as taught by him what they think of this. I'm sure people would love to hear some insight from his former students."

"That's a great idea," Edison said. "Have someone stand in while you talk to Bryce. I don't think he'll agree to speak with anyone else."

"Arthur," Theora called to a young controller. "Come take over. Don't worry, Edison's just preparing for the opening of a new school. It's pretty easy stuff."

Arthur sat down in front of the screen.

"Mr. Carter, I'm Arthur Greenberg,"

"Nice to meet you, Arthur," Edison said. "Don't worry, Theora won't be long. I just sent her to do a quick in-house interview. She should be five minutes tops."

Theora reached Bryce's studio and knocked. After no response, she hacked her way through the door, which was locked to her surprise.

An even bigger shock awaited her inside.

Instead of Bryce, Nicholas, the boy who had zipped Network 23 from the Academy of Computer Sciences several times before he'd finally been caught, was sitting at Bryce's computer.

"Mr. Lynch," Nicholas was complaining as he tried to follow what Bryce probably had thought of as a list of simple instructions. "When you leave a set of instructions like this, next time leave a thesaurus and an encyclopedia."

"Where's Bryce?" Theora demanded. "And who let you in here?"

"Bryce is giving me a chance for redemption," Nicholas told her. "As for where he is, I don't know. He left with a couple of men a few hours ago."

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Theora nearly screamed at him.

"He went willingly," Nicholas pointed out. "Besides, what would I tell anyone? I already said I don't know where he went."

"I'm calling Cheviot," Theora said, angrily. "You should have told someone. Consider yourself suspended until we get to the bottom of this.

"Fine," Nicholas told her, grumpily following her to the lift.

"Where are we going?" he asked as they got in.

"Murray's office," Theora told him.

Murray looked up as they walked in.

"What's he doing here?" Murray demanded, recognizing Nicholas.

"I found him in Bryce's studio," Theora explained. "He claimed Bryce hired him to give him a second chance."

"What did Bryce say?"

"Bryce isn't here anymore," Theora said. "Our friend here says he went off with two strange men."

"Willingly," Nicholas cut in.

"I find that hard to believe," Murray told him, punching up Cheviot's number.

"Is something wrong, Murray?" Cheviot asked. "We're about to-"

"Bryce is gone," Murray told him.

"Isn't that the kid who…" Cheviot asked.

"Bryce hired me as a stand-in, sir," Nicholas explained.

Cheviot understood at once and lowered his head painfully.

"May God protect him."


End file.
